I Fell For My Servant
by April Twelving
Summary: With all that arrogance in his soul,no one can still believe that his love was for someone as low as her! Honestly, love IS strange...with a little dash of Tomoyo and Eriol's magic...Enjoy!
1. Prayer to heaven

**Author's Note:** This prologue is kind of boring but it is the main revolving centre in the story. Take your time and Enjoy!!

**Title: I Fell For My Servant**

**Rating: T**

**Summary: With all that arrogance in his soul, no one can still believe that his love was for someone as low as her! Honestly, love IS strange...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura. Clamp does.**

_**Pika no Graveyard, Higura Village, Hokkaido, Japan:**_

The graveyard street was familiar to him. His handsome looks, straight back, sharp eyes best in those shiny spectacles. He walked on, coming all the way from his little cottage to the midst of the forest, stopping to smell the wild fragrance of the flowers and to pick up some of the brightest looking ones. This spring was no different. For him, heaven was lost a long time ago when he gave away his dear wife to the ailment. He was now experiencing a hellish life, tasting a bit of heaven in the middle. The leaves rustled and fell at his feet. He stooped low, bending that right angled back of his. He picked the lifeless leaf up, wondering if his offsprings' lives would be the same way. "No. That will never be," he murmured to the blowing air, thinking his faint whisper would reach his saintly, late wife.

_**Fujitaka's flashback:**_

It was 10 years ago.

Little Sakura was drooling on her older brother's lap as both the Kinomoto kids slept in a deep slumber, watched affectionately by their beloved parents from a distant corner. The little girl, even though only three, almost resembled her Mother in every way. She had the same beautiful face, the cheerfulness in that tender heart of hers. "She is going to take after her Mother," Fujitaka, said to his angelic kanai. Her long tresses caressed his face, leaving him smiling.

"And her brother will grow up to be like you," she said. "Fujitaka..."

"Yes dear?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Anything. Ask away, princess." Then in the next quarter of an hour, Fujitaka was left stunned by his wife's talk. He could do nothing but only nod his head, letting his tears flow onto his lap. He put his hand on top of hers, vowing to do exactly as she said.

Before he knew it, a few months passes and she was gone. Exactly as she had predicted. He gave his wife's precious soul to the new spring.

His young children couldn't bear it without their mother and so, he married again, for the sake of his children. He married the best friend of his wife, a Daidouji, who was also her cousin. He thought that since she was a friend of his wife's, she would take care of Nadeshiko's children with great care. She would treasure them, more than her own life...but all his guessing had been wrong...

_**End of flashback.**_

"Konnichiwa Kinomoto san! Hajimemashite!" the low sound of the caretaker came rumbling across the lamp post.

"Hai! Hajimemashite Noda-san!" He waved his hand cheerfully, keeping his heart as hard as the marbles, deep down.

"So you're back again? I thought you'd never be able to come back, after suffering those tremors with that Lucifer of your wife. Everything's ready."

"Arigatou! I could never think of a better person than you to rely on for this day, could I?"

"That may be so. But you need to hurry now. The public will start appearing on the streets in just a further of 10 minutes I guess. Try to finish it quickly."

" Hai! And thanks again."

Kinomoto Nadeshiko

Born: 25.12.1982

Died: 20.03.2003

'I bloom even at the deepest brows of your heart'

He placed down the wild blossoms he picked up, onto her concrete bosom. He stood there, leaving his straight back to crumple, just a bit. For the first time ever, he let his tears flow carefree. He sniffed to his heart's fill, leaving his brain to form a short message. He had to talk to her, as he did every year. He had to pour out his heart, he knew, she always had value for his talk. He was sure she would listen to him and grant him those few wishes he yearned for.

He just took five minutes to pour out his grief, sharing them with her. After that, he slowly trudged back, not wanting to be away from her side. He dragged his feet back to his crooked cottage.

"Tadaima!" He waited but not one 'Kaeri nasai' was heard. It was lonely. This kind of life… It was hard for him. He remembered his wish for Sakura that he made to Nadeshiko. "She'll do her bit. I'm sure. "

**Author's Note: **This one might be quite something of quietness itself...but then again as I said, this one's the main...

R&R


	2. Hope

My beta and I have worked _really_ hard on this one. So make you're very generous, and pop up a review for me please:)

Enjoy!

* * *

Title: I Fell For My Servant

Rating: T

Summary: With all that arrogance in his soul, no one can still believe that his love was for someone as low as her! Honestly, love IS strange...

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura. Clamp does.

* * *

Grace Bock, Hotel Li, Tokyo:

"Welcome to the Li Enterprises' business presentation number 5623. Since there has been quite a commotion in the business industry in the past few days, we will be focusing on the sales margin which may take a turn and influence our company's shares. This time, the presentation will also benefit your respective companies by stressing on a few strategies. You are being requested to kindly go through the papers which will be placed at your respective tables for a few specific moments when we guide you through the presentation. If you have any doubts to clarify, or if you have any questions, Mr. Syaoran Li, CEO of Li Enterprises, will be glad to help as soon as the meeting is in procedure. Please feel free to refresh yourselves at the formal dinner which will be hosted at our hotel's banquet hall, after the presentation. Thank you," a cool female voice rang through the speakers from every corner of the large meeting room. The Li Enterprises usually held presentations to interact with their clients, to improve their revenue by smoothly coaxing their clients into agreements or deals, and sometimes they held presentations just to review the ongoing status of their company. One such meeting was going on that day, and Syaoran was in the grand conference room in a hotel with a lot of his "business clients".

A tall brunette in her twenties walked up to him and bowed low. It was low enough that her cleavage was showing. She wore a tailored suit made of a thin fabric in the shade of a deep blue. The dress didn't look like it was meant for an official matter at all. It was more like an outfit which would be comfortable to flirt in, as it was a bit of a see through material. She threw a sly smile at him. Syaoran sighed internally.

"Ooohh...Syaoran-sama! I would really be glad if our company could make a deal with the Li Estates. Please consider my—I mean, our request and do look into the matter." She was from the Shingen Ltd.

"_I guess I should have brought up a dress code for all the people here," _thought Syaoran.

"No, I'm afraid _our_ company, the Kuro Controls, has already asked Mr. Li about that, and his answer to _us_ is pending. He's _ours_." This was from a young woman having short black hair, who seemed to lack courage to directly speak to Syaoran. One could easily have guessed that as her eyes were moving from Syaoran to the Shingen woman, trying to decide on whom to talk with.

"Back off doll! Syaoran-sama is reserved just for me," came another voice from behind. All these voices were of Tokyo's top richest belles, trying to pin him up. The ones who were supposed to be in the presentation were the ladies' fathers but it looked like they were all at home, appealing to their daughters' requests of them attending it instead. So nothing was in Syaoran's power to kick them out.

Syaoran raised his hand and calmly summoned his faithful old butler to his side. "Here it goes again. Wei-san, could you please escort me to a private suite?"

Just as he said it, he could hear protests all around from the ladies. "I'm sorry, ladies. I usually get headaches during these presentations and I think I've got one right now. But I will leave behind a person who is as efficient as me in handling all your queries. This is Eriol Hiiragizawa." He pointed to a young man who was also around twenty five. The man who was sitting by the laptop came around and flashed a weary smile to the ladies. He was well built and his eyes were a piercing blue with a hint of silver. His angel face went well with his silky black hair. And his elegant, silver suit added grace to his fine features. Nodding to Syaoran, he turned to face the ladies. Syaoran did the same, and putting up a more gentle tone, he spoke. "So, if you will all excuse me?"

"Please, don't bother about us Syaoran-sama. Please, relax. Your king-sized bed must be waiting," a woman, in her late thirties drawled in a raspy voice, causing him to sigh again.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Now that everything is taken care of sir, this way please," spoke Wei, leading Syaoran away. They walked for a little while, the two making small chatter. At last, the old man kindly led the annoyed heir to an elegant room. It was just like his other mansions in which he had lived in. The room was smaller, but it was all creamy, furnished with more elegant contrasting colored accessories. It was perfect. It was homely—unlike his lonely home. He settled himself on a mocha bean bag and felt the anger rise within him again. With his fists clenched and his teeth set firmly, he thought, _"None of those chicks would bother me when I'm at rest, so I guess I'll be experiencing some heaven at least for quite a bit of time."_ Syaoran Li was the same as he had been in high school, although he had matured. His personality, language, and most of all, his looks had not changed… and that meant that he'd always had women to fawn around him. They say, "Love like wine, matures with age." But in Syaoran's case, the saying went completely wrong. He never had a proper girlfriend for more than 24 hours, or someone who truly loved him the least bit. Every other woman that he met was only after his riches or his looks.

He was best friends with Eriol, and their friendship was also another thing that hadn't changed over time. Now, Eriol played a role in Syaoran's life as a friend, and also as a business partner which gave another kick to their "cool" relation.

He took in a deep breath, calming himself. "Thanks a lot, Wei-san. Now you may take your leave. I believe you have a lot of work to do, trying to calm those women down."

"Yes sir." Wei took in a deep breath, his chest expanding, and his shoulders straightening, his face set in a cloud of flickering hope. It seemed like he was hesitating a bit to say something to Syaoran—which could not be concealed from Syaoran, as he knew him for very long.

To ease away Wei's uneasiness, Syaoran spoke in a relaxed tone. "You wanted to ask something, Wei-san?"

It worked. Wei smiled, causing the wrinkly skin around his eyes to crease. "May I dare ask if I could leave to your demands to a maid?"

"If she isn't one of the fan girls then yes, you may. Thank you."

"Oh! Of course not! All the staffs in this hotel are handpicked by me to take care of your needs, rather than to fuss over you. Please excuse me. I have the ladies waiting. And I will have a maid at your disposal before seeing to the ladies sir." The faithful old butler bowed, and walked out of the room. Syaoran couldn't thank him more than enough. Wei had taken care of him ever since he was five, and now with him being twenty five, the butler was still the same.

He ran his hand through his messy chocolate brown hair. As Syaoran Li, he would gladly give away his position to any passing stranger. Being the son of a rich tycoon, he had to take over the family duties, which was a major burden to him. His timetable consisted nothing more of appointments, balls, meetings and these occasional business presentations. Usually, every one of his business presentations was full of swarming ladies, who were only there to catch his eye. Besides his mother and sisters, he had yet to meet one woman who did not put on too much makeup, and who did not obsess over their own looks.

He wondered how his life would be, if he got himself the perfect lass whose soul was the purest and who wouldn't be after his riches...something like a soul mate—the word which was highlighted in every text in the Li's ancient family scrolls. Syaoran considered the "soul mate" thing as crap, and never believed it. _"In these days, I guess it's really hard to find someone like that at all…"_ Just when he was thinking about the random break-ups he'd had with lots of women, a steady knock on the door woke him from his trance.

"Come in." He adjusted his posture on the bean bag, and slowly shifted his sight to the door, just to see it being opened. A uniformed maid stepped into the room. He studied her every aspect, making sure that she wasn't a fan in disguise. "Yes?"

"Li-sama, I was instructed by Wei-san to attend to your commands and needs sir." She slowly curtsied, low enough so that the frilly material of her uniform climbed up her thigh. Syaoran didn't miss that and his suspicion rose. Holding his fingers in the shape of a glass, he said, "I see. Then please get me a glass of water."

"In a moment sir," She nodded swiftly and let her thoughts run. _"What a well toned body he has! I wonder if it'd be a joke if I gave him something that would make me the mistress of the Li Corp. Such a baby he is, I can't take my eyes off him!"_

Syaoran saw the girl absent-mindedly twirling the loose strands of her hair while staring at him. He concluded that she was dreaming about something... With her eyes moving up and down his body, he figured that her thoughts were about him. Clearing his throat, he raised his voice just a bit to make her snap out of it. "Ahem! I believe, I asked for a glass of water." Every girl ran her sight through his body first, before making any kind of talk. This drove him crazy more than anything else. He maintained a strict fitness regime to keep himself free of all the stress of his business routine. But he would have never even started the whole thing if he'd known about the outcome it would have on all the ladies he ever met.

The maid was left with nothing but to apologize to him. She mumbled a weak, "I'm sorry," her face fallen. She'd dreamed without realizing she was right in front of him, and her face reflected nothing but pure shame. She almost ran back all the way to the kitchen. She looked on either side of her, making sure that there was no one around her, watching. She twisted the knob on the sink and held a fancy goblet under the water. Sprinkling some of the light blue powder that was located in her pocket into the rippling water, she turned off the water. She placed the goblet on another fancy tray. Due to her nervousness, on her way back, she caused a pastry plate that was on the way to the meeting room to fly out of the waiter's hands. Not waiting to see what happened, she ran along the long corridors once again. Standing back outside the door with the goblet of water in her hand, she adjusted her uniform and fixed her hair into an odd angle before making her entry into the classy suite once more after a few minutes. She was nervous about what she did in the kitchen and hoped that nothing would give her away.

Knocking on the door and walking into the room, she spotted him standing by the chair. She came forward slowly and raised the tray in her hands a little higher, so that it came level with his face. "Here you go, sir." Syaoran noticed her odd hairstyle and her trembling hand. He found out the reason for the trembling when he grabbed the goblet and looked into the color of the liquid. The slightly tinted color of the water was fading away with small bubbles round the rim of the glass. It was familiar to him.

"I take that its not plain water as I asked." He kept his cool and smiled at her as he gradually raised his voice. _"She's definitely crossed her line now. I had suspicions about her but I didn't actually think she was another girl like this."_

"No sir. Wei-san insisted that I give you sugar water as he thought you may be tired with fatigue sir." She wondered whether sugar water was even supposed to take away fatigue or not. She said it just because it was the first thought that came into her mind. How did he know it wasn't plain water anyways?

"Oh! So that's the case is it? Are you sure Wei asked you to do it?" Still smiling, he placed the goblet on a nearby stool and twisted his fingers slowly, snapping them suddenly.

"Yes sir, I am." She was twirling the strands of her thin hair again while chewing her lower lip. Her already large eyes were huge, as she tried to assess Syaoran's sudden behavior. _"How does he know about the water thing?"_

"In that case, you're fired. Please report to the special desk, near the main lobby before you get out of this building." He wanted to shake off that smile in his perfectly formed lips. However the fake smile was the only thing that he could do, to remind himself not to blow up so soon and to keep himself in check.

"Sir, please. May I beg to ask you what offence I had committed?" The maid fidgeted under his obviously fake smile.

That was the last straw for him. "Okay. So you want _me_ to tell _you_ that you've just dropped something in the water? Don't worry, I know all about these tricks. Just try something better next time will you?"

"_Now, now Li. Keep those angry tones at bay. Control your emotions."_ His face was just as it was, smiling. But it turned into a very dangerous smile, a very threatening one to show her that he meant business.

"I...." The maid knew she lost. She was now worried about what he was going to do to her. _"What have I brought myself into? I have to find an excuse!"_ She waved her hands in the air with an air of hopelessness, trying to find a quick reassuring explanation but she then lowered her hands to her side when she found none.

"Out." A part of his hair was entangled near his eye. He flipped it away, revealing a shocking deep tint of amber, showing her that he wasn't kidding. Such women only sent shivers down his spine. Last month, during his mother's birthday party, there was an instance when a stupid lady poured some stupid drug into his cocktail sending him straight to a couch. If it was not for a certain waiter who was walking by, he would have had to rot in hell for all his lifetime.

After the presentation:

"There you go Wei. Your last perfect doll is going home. She tried the same old drugging thing again. You know what? I don't care anymore. Just fix me a venue and a date, will you? I think I will personally pick up my maid. Circulate the news everywhere. On the net, the papers, the radio, and whatever form of media there is. This should be heard all around the globe. Let's see what women are worth for."

His mother never trusted most men, as some guy had once bankrupted almost all of their wealth in the past, before Syaoran was born. And so she advised her son to do the same, with him following it. _"It'll be the last time I ever give chances to the female population. One more mistake and there will be no women in my life forever."_

"Very well Syaoran-sama. Your wish is my command."

* * *

_**In a small village, in Hokkaido, after a few days...**_

"Sakura! Where are you girl? The machine is loaded. Make sure that you're here in five minutes or you'll miss tonight's dinner again!" the woman roared out to the poor, meek girl who was on the terrace.

"Coming," a sweet voice echoed from somewhere above in the tiny cottage. But even though her sweet voice confirmed that she was definitely coming, it still made the woman to wring her hands in anger. She was cursing the girl silently, under her breath. The girl ran down the stairs, tripping about, but made it so that she stood upright in front of her stepmother. Sakura was wearing a simple spotless, tattered white gown which ran down to reach her knees. She accessorized it with a large sunflower on her hair. She wore light sandals which were ragged, full of holes, and with a few spots blackened by soot and dirt. "I am so sorry mother. I had a bit of trouble walking quickly with these shoes on my feet. Now that I am here, please go and take a rest." She gulped, ready to take in whatever her stepmother accused her with.

"You know, you sure are a bit too clumsy for your age. Fujitaka would never admit it. He always believes that you are perfect in everyway, which I know you aren't." Her stepmother clenched her fist in anger showing all those vintage rings adorning her fingers. Sakura winced, not at the lady's remark, but at seeing all those thick and unattractive rings on those fingers of her stepmother. She had become accustomed to every rude remark her stepmother ever made, ever since she was a very little girl.

Putting on a wide smile on her angelic face, she whisked the old lady away to her grand room. "Now, now, I'm sure that your head is aching. You should rest." Compared to her stepmother's room, Sakura's was like a tiny cellar. She held the woman's back, gently leading her to the bed and tucked her into the blankets. She switched on the air conditioner. Even though many people of that age did not like the cool air of the AC, her stepmother was an exception. She wanted it on, just to keep burning her father's pocket.

Sakura ran down to the small kitchen and mentally went through her things-to-do list. "Well that's settled than. I guess I just need to run through everything again. Let's see...."

"Horses and chickens... Fed!"

"Tidying the house...Done!"

"Sheets... Changed! And that leaves this before dinner…"  
She put the washing powder into the slot provided in the machine, switching it on and letting it rumble about. The kitchen was small. But it had enough space to house a fridge, an oven, a toaster, and everything else which had to be in a kitchen. Strange as it seemed even to her, it included a washing machine. It was also being used as the laundry room. She was in the kitchen frequently as there was a greater need for clean clothes than food or anything else in her home. Her stepmother usually put in a lot more clean clothes than the ones which were dirty, just to use more powder and electricity to keep her father spending money without a rest. A fortnight ago, her stepmother had put her fur coat to be aired and it was just the break of spring!

She then walked toward the kitchen counter, letting her long auburn hair flow down her shoulders with a few wisps caressing her delicate face. She grabbed a bun out of a small tin from a shelf on top, and chewed it slowly. Her large emerald eyes were making it clear that she was thinking of her dear brother who had gone abroad to work. Abroad, meant nothing like overseas, or out-of-the-country, or anything like the usual meaning for "abroad". Touya was making some money in some big firm just in Tokyo. She missed him a lot. Sighing, she shook away her thoughts.

Sakura Kinomoto was nicknamed Cinderella by her really great friends because she resembled the fairytale character in many ways. Her poor mother Nadeshiko had died when she was just three or so. Thinking that Sakura needed a mother figure to look after her, her father, Fujitaka Kinomoto had remarried thinking that this woman was pure. Now he was facing nightmares everyday with that wife of his. The woman also had a daughter from a previous relationship but the girl never resembled a bit of her mother. Tomoyo Kinomoto, her stepsister, considered Sakura as her own soul and always took great care of her little sister.

Tomoyo was now gliding along the passage, pushing away a lock of striking violet hair, smoothing her skirt, trying to dodge herself from being seen by her mother. She had a surprise for little Sakura which she thought would fulfill one of her many wishes. "Sakura-chan?" Her sight swept the kitchen to see who was present in there. She was relieved to see that the person whom she wanted to see was in there. She saw her sister's eyes widening in surprise and…shock too. She immediately came over to Tomoyo's side, dropping her halfway finished bun right on the counter.

"Moyo-chan! What are you doing here? You do know what mother will think when she sees you here, don't you?" According to her stepmother's set of rules, Tomoyo was to be treated exactly like a princess and herself as the queen which meant that Tomoyo was not supposed to move around the house to take care of her own needs. If she needed help, Sakura was to be commanded to take care of her. And yes, commanded was the exact word. It also meant that she was not supposed to be in the kitchen, chattering with Sakura.

"Shhh…calm down sweetie, I just have a nice surprise for you!" Tomoyo's voice sounded pleasant, with her face delighted. She was always like that when she was speaking to her beloved sister. But there were certain gleams in her eyes which made Sakura think that something was up. Nice? Not that Tomoyo was bad to her at all... But a nice surprise? All of a sudden? _"I'm a little worried. Wait, not that again!"_

_  
_"I am sorry Moyo-chan, but if it's another secret date you have hooked me up with, I don't have time for you." Tomoyo usually hooked Sakura up with a few guys, trying to find a perfect match for her sister so that she could marry Sakura off with a family under her watch.

"Come on, it's not that! Besides, the last guy was totally cute until you pushed him into the pool." Tomoyo rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Let's change the subject. You really wanna meet Touya onii-chan right? I heard you crying all night for him." She took her sister's hand in comfort.

Sakura blushed. She didn't think that the walls of her room were that thin, and that her crying was that loud. "Yeah, I kind of want to see Onii-chan…" Her sentence trailed off at the end, indicating that she'd begun thinking of Touya again. So to get back her attention, Tomoyo had to shake her hard by the shoulders.

"Well here's the perfect opportunity for you then. Right now, Touya's online with me and he'd like to talk to you!"

"Really? But I have to take care of this thing you know…" she pointed to the old washer which was gurgling about and sighed. She had the perfect opportunity to talk with her brother. But the burden of chores crushed all the hopes of that.

"I'll take care of it. Now move that little piece of you down to my room!" Tomoyo gently chastised Sakura and smiled gently at Sakura. "Honestly, Sakura! Do you think I can't handle this simple machine?" With that strong reassurance from her sister, Sakura could do nothing more but accept her sister's kind offer.

"Arigatou Moyo-chan!" She kissed Tomoyo on the cheek in thanks and ran out to her room, looking around to see if anyone was snooping on her.

_**In Tomoyo's Room**_

Laying out Tomoyo's clothes after they were out of the laundry and dusting her room were the only moments she had been in her sister's room. This was the first time that she was in there without having to do any chores. She was awed by the grandeur of her room. Though the room was only medium sized, Tomoyo had made it look like the interior of a palace. However, Sakura didn't have much time to keep gazing around, so she skipped and made her way to the queen sized bed and stared at the laptop. Her brother was online, just as Tomoyo had told her.

_**Amethyst says:**__ (__**Author's note:**__ It is amethyst because it is Tomoyo's account.)  
Onii-chan! This is Sakura! *gives you a big bear hug*_

_  
__**Gaki hater says:**__  
Hi kaijuu! Missed me?*jabs your abnormal head*_

_**Amethyst says:**__  
Hai, Onii-chan! STOP CALLIING ME KAIJUU, YOU MORON!!*stomps your big foot really hard*  
I hate to say it but you see the thing is…_

_  
_Sakura placed her hand over the enter button, wondering whether or not to complain about her stepmother. She blinked as Touya quickly sent back a message. She didn't realize that she had accidentally pressed it.

_**Gaki hater says:**__  
What is it? Are you okay?_

_  
__**Amethyst says:**__  
Ummm…Onii-chan…Could you do something to get me out of this house? Out of mother's sight?_

_  
__**Gaki hater says:**__  
That lady again huh? Well…there's this job they're offering from the Li Corp. They need a personal maid for their heir. It may seem like a low status (of course it is) but you get a super high salary as well as accommodation wherever the guy goes. Could you do it?_

_  
_He wanted to comfort Sakura, but he knew that the time they could talk online was limited so he had to help her quickly.

_  
__**Amethyst says:**__  
I guess. I'm really glad but I guess there will be a lot of competition for it right? Considering that it's for an heir…_

_  
__**Gaki hater says:**__  
Yeah…but you'll pass if you answer this one question right _

_  
__**Amethyst says:**__  
What is it?_

_  
__**Gaki hater says:**__  
Have you ever heard of Li Syaoran?_

_  
__**Amethyst says:**__  
…Not a clue…is that supposed to be a question?_

_  
__**Gaki hater says:**__  
Yep. You'll pass. I'll arrange for your visit to Tokyo Ok? Bye then…_

Touya sighed. He didn't want to send her off with some male heir, but as long as she didn't know him, it would be fine. Besides, there would be others looking over her too, and she would be out of their so called "stepmother's" sight.

_  
__**Amethyst says:**__  
Ok Onii-chan._

_  
_She found that she was too late, as the icon by his name said that he was offline.  
Noticing that she could no longer continue the conversation with her brother, Sakura ran down to the kitchen once again to relieve her sister of the burden of watching over the machine. She found it amusing, watching Tomoyo fumble with the buttons of the washing machine.

She tiptoed silently. "Arigatou Moyo-chan!" She hugged her sister tightly.

Tomoyo smiled in surprise and turned around to talk to her sister. "I've already packed your bags. Now listen to me. Tokyo is grand and people will consider you only if you look like a princess. But I'm sure you won't have much of a problem though…I've fixed that up for you." Tomoyo prattled off speedily, her tone very businesslike as she waved her hands in the air. But suddenly, her face went wary, and caring. Tomoyo's brows furrowed slightly, her amethyst eyes glinting with emotion. For a moment, Sakura remembered her mother's face out of her conscience. Moisture filled her eyes, and welled up, ready to fall at any second. She had to hide this from Tomoyo. She wouldn't let her sister think that she was still the small girl who cried at every little thing. She turned and looked at the gurgling machine in the corner, hoping that she hadn't given herself away, turning away like that. Most likely she hadn't. She had turned to the machine, right? So, Tomoyo would just think she was minding her work. That was good. She tried not to sniff, and listened to Tomoyo's sweet voice.

Sakura didn't notice that that the room was silent until she calmed herself after taking a deep breath. Tomoyo was standing right next to her. She saw her sister's eyes and noticed the tender emotion was still there. Sakura loved Tomoyo. She was one of the closest people to her and one of the best sisters in the world. Tomoyo swept a wisp of Sakura's hair back from her face, and smoothed her forehead, kissing it tenderly. She pulled back and saw Sakura in her eyes. She took her hand, and squeezed it gently, in a comforting way. She knew that Sakura was going through a lot of emotions.

"Sakura, you don't need to hide anything from me. Don't cry silly. This is not the time for that. Be happy dear, once you get to know the city, you'll be amazed for yourself. Keep yourself within limits okay? Rich people are never to be trusted. Take this from me. I'll be with you all the way till the airport so you can talk to me. Got that? Don't hesitate to come to me if you have something which is irking you. Goodnight, little sister. I'll arrange everything for you and let you know tomorrow about the flight." Tomoyo always knew what her sister was thinking beforehand. It was like she was in Sakura's mind and heart all the time. She saw Sakura's stress and predicted this coming. She talked to Touya about Sakura and arranged her interaction with him.

"How did you know? And, from you? You mean you had a relationship with someone rich?" Sakura's tears glistened on her face as she tilted her head sideways and asked in a sneaky voice and giggled. She felt stupid, for having cried like that in front of Tomoyo. But after hearing Tomoyo's words, she was sure that she was the luckiest person in the world because she had her as a sister. She'd stopped her sobbing and giggled, trying to change the subject to lighten up the situation a little.

"I have my own ways of getting information." Tomoyo laughed. "Now is not the right time for me to answer this. Time will come. I will surely tell you then. Now be off. You'll need a plenty amount of rest before your journey. Oyasuminasai, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo quickly kissed her on the forehead again, in a sisterly way, turned her back, and went back to her room to retire for the day.

"Arigatou gozaimasu. Oyasumi, Moyo-chan." She cheered up, her pretty doll face glowing for two reasons. For one, she was happy about Tomoyo. She felt truly blessed for having her as a sister. And two, she was happy that she was going to go abroad, getting some fresh air and being able to distance herself away from her stepmother. Not only that, she was going to be with Touya. But there was a part in her, which was deeply hurt. She flinched at the thought of leaving her father behind. She wouldn't be able to see her mother's grave often either.

* * *

_**Next day morning:**_

Tomoyo broke the news that Sakura was going to apply for a job with Touya's recommendation in Tokyo. With this, the Kinomoto household was in chaos. Fujitaka was more than happy. He knew that his prayers were answered and that Nadeshiko was watching over them. He made sure to remember to visit her grave when Sakura succeeded in Tokyo to tell her the good news. Now with having Nadeshiko in his heart, he was ready to face Sonomi's protests against it. He made sure that he didn't let go of the controlled level of anger in his tone. Before her death, his Nadeshiko had asked him never to be angry and he was trying to do that with all his effort.

"She will go only after crossing my dead body. Tomoyo's the one who's supposed to go into the city! Not her! It's absolutely despicable. She is, after all the youngest in the family. She still has Tomoyo to take over her. Besides, you are the one who always objects to her working." He watched as his wife screamed her head off in protest. She waved her hands in the air. If anyone had stood behind her, they would surely have toppled over by the strength of her hand. Making sure his tone was calm despite the angry words, Fujitaka spoke a low protest.

"Ever since you came into this house, nothing good had ever happened to us. All you do is croon at yourself in that queen sized bedroom of yours. And Tomoyo? What on earth has she got anything to do with it? Sakura is applying for the job of a maid. Tomoyo is a budding designer and she still has plenty of time to succeed." He decided to smile to calm his wife down, all of his sparkling white teeth showing. But the smile wouldn't stop his wife from protesting feverishly.

"Father's right mama. I've got plenty of time. Look at me, I'm only 24. Little Sakura needs that job." _"And also freedom from you…"_ "She has to get accustomed to the ways of the world before it's too late for her." Tomoyo tried to reason with her mother with a soft tone. But in her heart, she knew that neither her tone nor her talent would be regarded by her mother.

"Shut up girl!!! This is not the time for you to meddle around in what I'm doing for your own good," she snapped at her daughter without breaking the eye contact with Fujitaka.

He spoke in an unwavering tone, the control of his anger wavering. "She's going to go to Tokyo. I only married you because I thought she needed a motherly figure."

Sonomi argued even more, her face showing all the anger she felt.

"This is the final word," said Fujitaka, fed up. "She is going to do what she wants." He was stuck in that house with no means of pleasure or happiness. But why should his daughter suffer the same? Her life was to be carefree, not to be peeling potatoes in the kitchen and fetching refreshments for others for eternity. Why hadn't he done something about her treatment earlier?

Meanwhile, Sakura was quite happy, picking those sweet buttercups from the fields. She began talking to them, her innocent face glowing with pride and happiness. She would finally be able to see the wonderful colors of the city at last! Sakura used her free time in the morning to laze in the bright poppy fields, where she found it peaceful to be able to smell those sweet fragrances of the flowers.

"Do you know, little smiley? I'm going to go off to Tokyo. Isn't that great? Onii-chan's fixing me a job up there! Demo…I won't be able to talk to you sweet things again…"

She and her brother always had free access to the field that she was in because it was Yukito's. Since they knew each other very well, there was no need for her to obtain anyone's permission to do whatever she wanted to do over there.

"Hehe, you still are kinda childish aren't you, Sakura-chan?" The cute Tsukishiro walked up to Sakura as he saw her on his family property. He made a firm imprint of his boots on the soil, to let his grandfather know that he was in the field, watching around. His grandfather always chastised him to look after the field and tell him that they could not live without the field being in proper condition as it was their only source of income. And so to check whether his grandson had really been around the field, his grandfather made rounds of their property during the night.  
"Dare? (**Author's Note**: It's pronounced as 'Da-ray') Yukito san!" She couldn't hide her blushing face away from him. "Come on, I'm not childish! By the way, how are you? I think I haven't seen you for a long time!" She stopped talking because she had to catch her breath after all that speedy questioning.

"Hai! I've been on a world tour with my grandparents trying to taste different stuff. Boy, it was awesome. You know, I think I ate 15 bowls of rice in some place with 20 bowls of soup. That was satisfying." He proudly patted his slim belly. It was hard to get it how he could manage such a slim figure even after eating so much.

"Yukito-san…" she sighed. _"Some people never change."_

"Hey where's Touya lately?" He adjusted his glasses and looked above at the blue sky. He and Touya were the best of friends since high school. Since Yukito hadn't seen his friend for some time due to his absence, he didn't know much about what was happening.

"Onii-chan is in Tokyo. He is trying to fix me a job in Li Corp. I'm leaving, the first thing tomorrow morning I think... Tomoyo didn't really make it clear this morning when she told me when my flight was." Yukito looked down, probably hurt because his best friend was out of town but did a little jig on the spot.

"Whoa! That sure is a dreamy place to work at. Actually I'm also going to Tokyo tomorrow to attend this big food fest. Care to accompany me?" Sakura couldn't believe it. She was going to the place of her dreams, with the man of her dreams. But her dreaming ended, thanks to Yukito of course.

"Oh yeah! I forgot to mention it right away. Your family is bickering their heads off. I heard them shouting when I was on my way over here. You might want to see what is going on." He held out his hand, offering to help her up.

"Thanks for the info. Catch you tomorrow. Sayonara." She ignored his hand and jumped up on her own, throwing the flowers which she'd picked onto his chest, leaving him to smell that cherry fragrance of her hand before running as fast as her skinny legs could carry her. Yukito smiled a very sad smile. To think that a girl as gentle as her should suffer this much, it made him sad.

"It must be the work of mother for sure…Well, it looks like I won't be going to see those colors after all…," she said softly, feeling a large teardrop fall down her face. She had came to spend time in the field to get away from all her worries but it seemed that wherever she was or whatever she did, she went through trouble every time. Her face, which was so radiant even without any makeup, was dull, holding an expression in her eyes which made you think that she was unemotional. Her hands trembled but she didn't know why it was shaking uncontrollably. Was it for the anger built in her because of her stepmother? Or was it because she had created a headache for her father and sister? Or was it because she thought that she would never truly be happy? She didn't need to answer any of those questions because she knew that even if there was a way to answer any of them, her life would still be an empty shell.

* * *

***Author's Note**: If you people think you're good, and sweet anough to make a girl's day,

_**REVIEW!!**_

Keep pushing that purple button down there!!

And tell me what you fell about it, truly*

_Love you all3_


	3. AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE::

**. IMPORTANT MESSAGE.::.**

**Hi, people!! Thank you all for subscribing to my story. I had the next two chapters at the ready, but unfortunately, it seems that my Beta: Moonlight Petal is on an extended leave from being online. **

**And to add further distress, my computer has crashed and ALL my documents have been deleted. **

**I am very sad, and very sorry to disappoint you all :((**

**I know that by now, most of you would have completely forgotten about the existence of this story, but still, as an author, I thought it was my duty to just let you all know why I've been away for so long.**

**As I don't have much time to spare, I'm afraid that all stories would face total _-NoThInG-_ness for quite some time.**

**Take care, everyone :)**

**-AnImE aLoNe  
**


	4. A VERT IMPORTANT NOTICE :

_**PLEASE NOTE:**_

_**As I'm entering the most important year of my school life, I have scrapped almost many of my internet accounts and services. Owing to the board examinations I'm going to face at the end of the year, I will have to remain offline for a complete year.**_

**_Therefore, my fanfiction account and my stories (both which are published and unpublishe) will have to remain just as they are right now. I really hate to do all this, but then again, what's done must definitely be done right?? :"(  
_**

_**I will come back after an year. And I hope you'll still remember me and support me :)**_

_**Thanks for all your support.**_

_**Just remember me, okay? Goodbye :((**_

_**Wish me luck, minna!!**_


	5. Apology and Final Notice

Hello, everyone!

My finals finished about two weeks ago and I've been a teensy bit busy with many things. Its really good to be back on again. Right now, I'm in the 'tedious-according-to-me' chore of reading fanfictions of various genres to perk up my interest in writing again and also as a source of inspiration for me before I start working on my fanfiction plots.

I'd like to apologize to all of my readers who've been following the story and also to the new readers who've just noticed my story. Its just that this story has been running a lot on vapors and not on fuel. I mean that though the plot lining which I have in mind for this story is good, it's mostly running on chapters which all spell out notices for my absence and lack of writing except for the first two. I just want to make it clear to all of you that I'm honestly tired of the way this story is progressing.

And no, I'm not going to give up on writing this story nor am I going to put it up for adoption. I'm thinking of placing it in a "hiatus" mode. I am currently working on re-writing the story from scratch. The plot and the title are not going to be changed. But the summary and pretty much everything else in the story till now—well, the Prologue and the first chapter, too—will be changed and re-written.

I'm afraid that it might take quite some time as my beta, Moonlight Petal, seems to be very busy. However, I'm on the verge of requesting other authors to beta this story and also a couple of other plots that I'm working on. I hope Moon wouldn't mind this and that she would understand why I'm doing this. Of course, she'll be beta-ing my stories once when she's free. She's the best beta I've known till now and I always respect her for that.

So, if any of you would be able to take up beta-ing for me, I gladly welcome you. Please PM me if you would offer your beta services for my writing. I require betas for: Card Captor Sakura, Inu Yasha and Gakuen Alice for I'm working on plots centered around these anime shows. I'm also working on a Twilight fanfic and would really appreciate it if anyone of you could offer your beta services for that, too.

I promise I won't slag behind anymore and will definitely work hard on my fanfictions from now on. I sincerely hope that this catches your attention and I also do hope that a few of you would volunteer to be my temporary beta till Moonlight Petal is back from her hiatus mode. Oh and right now, I really wouldn't mind it if any of you flame either me or my stories because I know I deserve something at least as harsh as that.

That's all for now, everyone! Thanks for being so patient with me and I apologize for that once again. Ja Mata Ne

-AnImE a^LoNe


	6. AN APOLOGETIC APPEAL

Hello to all my very wonderful and faithful followers and those of you who got to read this now,

You should probably be aware by reading till this juncture that I started out this piece of fiction with a great bang, and that it has been running on vapours of me promising to update as soon as possible after that big bang.

I'm ashamed, all things simplified. I want to start over. The same story, with the same plot I've had in mind ever since its inception in my mind is what I wish to rewrite, and rephrase. Though the 'rewrite' and 'rephrase' parts apply only to the first two chapters of this fiction that are slightly decent by my standards.

I cannot really put into words as to how grateful I am for those who have reviewed, followed and encouraged me on with this story; I am far too grateful to do injustice to all of them by writing my feelings toward them as I feel that it would be a mere understatement to what I'm feeling.

I have been morose towards writing for a while now, and I now truly regret my folly and repent over it. Let me cut this confession short: Would you all be interested in the rewriting of this story and still try to be as encouraging—or if not, at least half of the former vigour—in this project? I request you, I appeal.

Also, I am in need of a proof-reader/beta who could help me out with this. I'm a writer-hopeful who has mistakes aplenty in her kitty, who is looking for someone of warm temperament to help me see through my mistakes.

Please. Do let me know all your voicings on this subject, and contact me if you would want to proofread my work: my rewriting of this fanfiction.

I wish you all wonder, and courage to help your wonderings come alive.

Thanks,

April Twelving.


End file.
